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Clavicular length asymmetries in primates indicative of handedness in daily activity
Author(s) -
Grisotti Gabriella,
Gan Patrick J.,
Marquez Samuel
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.23.1_supplement.822.2
Subject(s) - clavicle , anatomy , bilateral symmetry , primate , troglodytes , biology , pongidae , evolutionary biology , zoology , neuroscience , paleontology , mechanical engineering , engineering
Handedness is well understood in humans but not for other primates. Some studies in non‐human primates have focused on behaviors such as reaching for food correlated with hemispheric specialization. Other studies reported asymmetry in upper limb bones of Pan troglodytes to support handedness. Given relations of the upper limb and clavicle, we hypothesized that evidence of handedness would be manifest in measurements of clavicular length. We collected data from chimpanzees (n=8), rhesus (n=2), and spider (n=2) monkeys to represent great apes and Old and New World monkeys from the Division of Mammalogy at the American Museum of Natural History. Preliminary results showed a non‐significant but 62% rightward asymmetry in chimpanzees but essentially symmetry in the monkeys. Clearly, a larger sample size is required to explore these findings further. The relationship of the clavicle between the axial and appendicular skeletons means that it is responsible for transmitting a great deal of force. Activities of the handed upper limb may well have a differential effect on the clavicle. Thus, the clavicle may offer a unique approach to recognize handedness even in extinct primates. Grant Funding Source Do not have funding